PAKISTANI sues JetBlue! WOW!!!

[SWA/FO]

Pakistani-born pilot sues JetBlue, claiming discrimination

A Pakistani-born pilot is suing JetBlue Airways Corp. for discrimination, claiming the airline rescinded a job offer and told him it was because of his background.
Associated Press Last update: August 09, 2006 – 7:25 AM

Nation
NEW YORK — A Pakistani-born pilot is suing JetBlue Airways Corp. for discrimination, claiming the airline rescinded a job offer and told him it was because of his background.

Faisal Baig, a U.S. citizen who was raised in Yonkers, claims in the suit that an airline manager told him in March that he was a "security risk.''

According to the suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Baig asked, "Are you saying that you are not hiring me because of my name or my religion? ... Are you saying you are not hiring me because of where I'm from?''

The manager answered, "Yes, and JetBlue considers you a security risk,'' according to the suit.

Baig claims he was offered the job in February and had already received a ticket to attend the airline's training school in Orlando, Fla. The 40-year-old, a Muslim, had previously flown for Independence Air for nearly six years.

"I was devastated,'' he said. "I've been living in this country since I was 7, and now somebody's telling me I'm not a good American.''

A message left for a spokesman for the New York-based airline was not immediately returned Wednesday.

Baig, whose suit seeks an unspecified amount of money, is now living in Raleigh, N.C., where he is continuing to look for work as a pilot.

:bawling: maybe his background check is messed up? I've seen this problem before....someone that does not make the grade and they claim "its because I'm ........"

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

Jetblue gets sued about 20 times a week according to our legal man in DC. This one just makes the news, unfortunately, I think he said we settle out of court with most of them while others get dismissed outright. We do operate out of Sue City, New York... Nothing new here... Furthermore, jetblue has a great track record on the people we hire and if this guy got the boot after the offer, it sounds to me like he was on the "no fly" list or something of that nature or someone in the company saw his name on the Phase II list and torpedoed him. We hired many FLY-I guys and gals after their disposition, all are very highly regarded as individuals, from the ones I've met...

 

[Propblast]

I knew Faisal from ACA/IDE. I'm shocked that he could be considered a security risk. Post 9-11 weren't all 121 carriers required to do new security checks? If so, he should have gotten one at ACA.

-PB

 

[ils2minimums]

He should get into a time machine and go back to 1999. With a name like Faisal Baig, he should be able to walk into any Major Airline Human Resources/Pilot Recruitment department and get hired on the spot...

Sounds to me like it's Faisal's word against the Manager's. But who wants to give the over/under on how long it takes JetBlue to fire this manager and hire the Pakastani to fly their jets?

Islam: The new "race card"...

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

Islam: The new "race card"...

I'm converting. Which direction is Mecca again?

 

[EMB170Pilot]

I'm converting. Which direction is Mecca again?

Always face North:nuts:

 

[starvingredtail]

For those that do not know the process at JB, you interview in phase 1 and then if you pass, you go on to phase 2. Phase 2 is an agonizing background search. I do not know this guy, and I would hate to think he actually was discriminated against, but knowing the folks that are in charge of that program, I will stand behind their call. There are not a bunch of "managers" in that department so this is not like one of 20 "managers" stepped out of line. When the decision is made, the head of the department calls. The head of this department is probably the most pro active and "caring" person I have run into in administrative work. This was no "off the cuff" decision. This had to be painful for JB to make this decision.

 

[furloughed dude]

Man starvingredtail,

Boy have you gone off the deep end with the koolaid. Give me a break... That actually sounds gay...

 

[ultrarunner]

They claim he's a security risk??? He was recently at an airline. He's passed the new background checks.

As in most cases, we're not getting the whole story.

 

[SWA/FO]

Islam: The new "race card"...

Islam is peace. I laugh everytime, I think about that commercial.